RED-DRENCHED MAW OF THE UNBOUNDED MONASTERYArtist in Ichor and Antinomy

Player:

Viatos

Type:

Infernal

Caste:

Defiler of the Sea That Marched Against the Flame

Motivation:

Become Creations Sun

Urge:

Spread compassion, zen, and death.

Intimacies:(8/15)

Humanity (+Desperate Longing)

Himself (+Absolute Faith)

Dominance (+Lust)

Alienism (+Obsession)

Cannibalism (+Addiction)

The Unconquered Sun (-Envious Contempt)

Himself (-Terror)

Lintha (-Uncompromising Hatred)

Anima:

An explosive burst of purest white followed by tidal surges of midnight blue, swirling into an incredible maelstrom within which phantasmal monks of nuclear green fire struggle and drown. At its center is a terrible thing of milky crystal and black iron, part siaka, part galleon, and part temple; its hideous entrance-mouth almost sears the eye with baleful sanguine radiance.

For one full day, the character completely loses all communicative abilities. He cannot speak, his writing appears to be gibberish and even his hand gestures are completely unintelligible to others. All communication attempts on the part of an affected individual automatically fail.

Worse, the effects of this muteness are extremely unnerving for those with whom the Prince even attempts to interact preternaturally so. For the duration of the Torment, the Infernal also becomes a vector for a magical version of the hysteria disease (see Exalted, p. 352). This magical disease follows all the normal rules for hysteria except that players of characters exposed to it (whether through direct contact with the Prince or through subsequent contact with an infected person) do not roll (Stamina + Resistance) against hysterias normal Virulence. Instead, compare exposed characters Dodge MDVs to the (Essence + primary Virtue) of the Prince being punished. The precise nature of this contagious hysteria is for the Storyteller to decidehysterical deafness and/or dumbness are both common, but other hysterical beliefs might also be appropriate.

Non-extras may resist the symptoms of this hysteria for one scene by spending one Willpower point or break the effect completely by spending Willpower equal to the Infernals Essence.

Summers Day Drowned In Poison, an elaborate mural of a lounging neomah sipping chalcanth from a brass chalice that curls across the canvas of his back in a vague circle. The neomahs eyes seem sorrowful even as she commands a small crowd notably-less substantial demons to open their veins and refill the vast decanter before her.

(Bonuses are reflected in the sheet as green dots.)

SpecialtiesPresence - Control +3

AbilitiesAwareness +1Resistance +1Stealth +1

AttributesStamina +1Charisma +1Appearance +1

Superheavy Plate (Artifact 3)

This immense set of armor is made up of decorative flows of black jade and moonsilver swirling towards its breastplate, which is solid moonstone - now infected with brass "meteorites" spreading shining strands from the heart of its pockmarked surface. The effect is striking: a moon being enveloped by relentless and omnidirectional tides. It once had another name, but these days it's known as The Bastion of the Drowned Sky. This is a vitriol-tainted moonsilver artifact.

Word came to the Lap through various Realm contacts, saying Peleps Kaz had discovered a sealed tower, purportedly the tower that regulates the Realm Defense Grid in the West! Accessing even a quarter of the Grid would be a great aid to any up-and-coming Dynast, and so Mnemon Jubal set forth! Unfortunately, it appears he's not the only one on the trail, as the ferocious Red-Drenched Maw is also on Kaz's trail. Jubal has Kaz's location and Maw claims to be able to break the rat. Can the two find some common ground? And why is Maw so interested, if he's not after the tower? And in the end, will either be able to open the sealed doors of the lost edifice? Will they even like what lies beyond?

Find out, in this issue of What The Blue Blazes?!

Mnemon Jubal and the Beast of the Desert

Murder! One of the Lap's three satraps has been killed, his caravan attacked on the road, purportedly by delzahn warriors! Mnemon Jubal and the Third Legion set out to respond to this unprovoked attack, only for his dragon to be sabotaged in the night! The delzahn prove their superiority in the environment, ruining the unit's rations! It seems Jubal and his dragon might starve before even seeing battle, but even the darkest night must give way as the Sun comes over the horizon! Sanger the Dawn Charger provides Jubal's unit with much-needed supplies, and by putting aside their enmity toward Anathema they live to see war! As the battle is joined, will the Third Legion prevail against the desert-dwelling delzahn? It seems their training will see them through, but wait! A new challenger joins the fray, his feral, beastly form cleaving through the legion! Face-to-face against a seemingly unstoppable beast, will Jubal survive the onslaught of Mountain-Breaking Titan?

Post updated with pulp stories. Mostly complete now. Still need an App 7 picture, but... well that's just a tall order to fill.

Hit up Deviantart, search the keywords closest to your character design along with a gender sort such as "male -female -girl -woman", which will weed out a fair amount of wrong-gender images (not all, because it's user-uploaded art and the tagging system is, I believe, a volunteer initiative). For you, probably "vampire", "evil", or "dark" should do the trick. I'd recommend against trying to sort by art category (traditional, photography, etc.) because the way it's split up along with the way people label things lead to deceptively narrow and unhelpful samplings.

Paint.net (free) or Photoshop (emphatically not free) are also options for taking something pretty close to what you want and making it perfect. Original version of my portrait.

I had ideas for my own entirely custom style based on the thematics of Infernal Monster, but i think that may have been alittle overly Ambitious. So instead ive refluffed Violet Biers and made some minor tweaks to suit the valour-centric thematics i had in mind. The original style can be found on Pg 78 of the Errata. Specific tweaking of charms is noted with the charm, but in general i removed any reference to form weapons, as my style is Unarmed only. The last two charms are undone, ill probably replace them entirely at some point in the future, well before i ever get close to them

Always Ready Foresight

Lesser Foe Enlightenment Stance

Blazing Across The Sky Method

Hands Of the Sun

World Scorching Valour Form

Arms Of the Sophist

All Consuming Fiery Fist

Something

Something

Always Ready Foresight (Secrets of Future Strife)Cost:3m; Mins:Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;Type:SupplementalKeywords:Combo-OKDuration:InstantThe Valorous God Kings of Creation are never unprepared for battle, their righteous anger is ever beneath the surface, disdainful of circumstances that would impede their path to victory. A Join Battle roll supplemented by this Charm converts up to (Martial Arts) dice to automatic successes.

Blazing Across The Sky Method (Flight of Mercury)Cost:2m; Mins:Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;Type:SupplementalKeywords:Combo-OKDuration:InstantEmulating the Sun's burning path though the heavens, the Solar strikes with valour and zeal. An unarmed attack supplemented by this Charm reduces its Speed by one point. The martial artist can also move up to (Essence) yards before making the attack if needed to close range with her opponent.

Hands Of the Sun (Blade Of the Battle Maiden. Switched to Ori bonuses.)Cost:5m, 1wp; Mins:Martial Arts 3, Essence 2;Type:Reflexive(Step 2)Keywords:Combo-OK, ObviousDuration:One SceneGolden flames of Essence engulf the Solar's arms, sparks of manifest valour, screaming to be used against the unjust. This golden nimbus allows the martial artist to both deal lethal damage and parry lethal attacks while unarmed, and enchants her natural attacks with the traits of a Orichalcum Daiklave (except for clinches).

Lesser Foe Enlightenment Stance(Joy In Adversity Stance. Tweaked to work with soak instead of DVs)Cost: 5m; Mins:Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type:Reflexive (Step 2)Keywords:Combo-OKDuration:One SceneThe Chosen of the Sun stand without peer, sometimes it is necessary to remind others of this fact, and punish them for stirring a Solar's martial soul without being able to provide a worthy challenge. While Lesser Foe Enlightenment Stance is active, the martial artist gains one bonus die on her next unarmed Martial Arts attack every time she fully soaks the raw damage an attack. Attacks with the Overwhelming tag instead confer two dice if they fail to cause damage due Hardness. These bonus dice count as dice added by a Charm, and are discharged at when the martial artist next attacks. Attacks must be made with hostile intent against the martial artist. Using a defence with a Flaw of Invulnerability ends this Charms duration prematurely.

World Scorching Valour Form (Violet Bier Form. Shifted mote drain from spirits to cods)Cost 6m;Mins:Martial Arts 4, Essence 3Type: SimpleKeywords:Combo-Basic, Form-Type, Emotion, ObviousDuration:One SceneThe martial artist unleashes their Valour, taking on the mantle of a furious avenger to better smite those who have earned her ire. She becomes anger and valour and fire, a flawless champion for good. And all those forsaken by the Sun tremble before her wrath. While World Scorching Valour Form is active, the martial artist gains the following benefits: All enemies see their own end in her hands, doubling any wound penalties they take on actions to oppose her in combat. Resist-ing this unnatural Emotion for one scene costs two Willpower. Any unarmed attack she makes against a Creature of Darkness consumes one of the beings motes for every level of damage dealt. The characters unarmed martial arts attacks gain an Overwhelming value of (the lower of her Essence or Martial Arts rating).

Arms Of the Sophist (Death-Parrying Stroke)Cost:4m; Mins:Martial Arts 4, Essence 3;Type:Reflexive (Step 7)Keywords:Combo-OK, ObviousDuration: InstantThe Solar rotates their arms in a circular block, ending in a stance of denial so powerful that it denies incoming damage. These defensive manoeuvres subtract the martial artists Parry DV from the raw damage of an attack, and reduces its minimum damage by one die (minimum one). This charm offers no defense against unblockable or unexpected attacks.

All Consuming Fiery Fist (Life-Severing Blow)Cost:5m; Martial Arts 5, Essence 3;Type:SupplementalKeywords:Combo-OKDuration:InstantThe Chose has had enough, the fires within him boil over, and he channels it into a blow mighty enough to erase his victim from Creation. Add (Essence) to the raw damage of an unarmed attack supplemented by this Charm. The same amount is also added to the minimum damage of the attack, granting it the Overwhelming tag. A character reduced to their Incapacitated level by an attack supplemented with All Consuming Fiery Fist can be unmade as a Shaping effect, killing them instantly and reducing their corpse to ash. Against mortals, even a single level of damage is sufficient to shape them dead.

There's also The Art of Forceful Declaration (a Valor focused Martial Arts) which you may like (which also works with the Smashfist).

Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style is also a pretty decent style based off of (you guessed it) the Unconquered Sun. Allows armor, but no weapons at all.

Both of those seem to fit the theme your character is going towards--not sure if you saw them already or not, but I thought I'd point them out

I do know of them. Arms was my original plan for a second art, but i put it aside, its really only useful if you plan to use its Form charms (the whole point of the style). Val i didnt look too closely at though, its Scroll Of the Monk... so i just assumed it was garbage... and at a glance it looks like one of those 'screwy and not really useful' ones

I do know of them. Arms was my original plan for a second art, but i put it aside, its really only useful if you plan to use its Form charms (the whole point of the style). Val i didnt look too closely at though, its Scroll Of the Monk... so i just assumed it was garbage... and at a glance it looks like one of those 'screwy and not really useful' ones

The Imperfect Lotus add-on to Scroll of the Monk isn't too bad as far as styles go. The Virtue Styles are really the highlight of the book, but they can be a little goofy (though the Compassion style is the best of the four).

The Form of Violet Bier of Sorrows/World-Scorching Valor should probably have its O increase changed to a flat +2 or something. Ping-based combat was a removal goal in 2.5e.

Aside from that it seems fine, as is its Sidereal counterpart. I personally favor sticking Enhanced on every Charm in any MA I invent so that it functions at native level, but that involves a bit more fiddling and requires the Style relate to your Exaltation's thematics (can't enhance Tiger Style unless you first invent Tigerxalted).

Art of Forceful Declaration is abusable; mostly the Form provides extremely high bonuses that become completely unmanageable with a Stone of Valor and Epic Zeal of Valor, but this is also true of...Stentorian Challenge, I think? Whatever was meant to let you add +5 raw damage wasn't meant to let you add +8 levels. If NOT abused it's mostly fine, although the Form is still very strong for a CMA.

The Form of Violet Bier of Sorrows/World-Scorching Valor should probably have its O increase changed to a flat +2 or something. Ping-based combat was a removal goal in 2.5e.

You have a point, but that charms function is defined by the 2.5e Errata, so im not sure if they wanted it to have high ping as a special case, or if the designer got hit on the head or something... Ill go whichever way Our Glorious Leader decides.

Quote

Aside from that it seems fine, as is its Sidereal counterpart. I personally favor sticking Enhanced on every Charm in any MA I invent so that it functions at native level, but that involves a bit more fiddling and requires the Style relate to your Exaltation's thematics (can't enhance Tiger Style unless you first invent Tigerxalted).

Heh, i do like it, but since this is my first time doing this i didnt want to get too creative, and for what its worth, i think i did a good job of fluffing it for a angry solar

Through long training and deep meditation, the martial arts master refines her talents into a fluid and all-encompassing perfection; the constant guidance of martial essence through rigorous and disciplined flows leaves the body preconditioned for such natural flows of vital essence - The Martial Artist permanently replaces her unarmed combat traits as follows:

Additionally, if the Martial Artist master is an Exalt, she may commit 3 motes as an Obvious effect to add her natural Magical Material bonus to her unarmed attacks indefinitely.

Terrestrial Masters who learn this charm must select their specific Jade bonus or the general Jade bonus when they learn this charm, and cannot change their decision. Jade Alchemicals always use the generic Jade option.)

Infernal Exalted add a sheen of vitriolic coating to their hands and feet which leak a caustic venom - their attacks inflict a poison (1A/action Toxicity (Essence) Penalty -1) when they connect, doses build up normally.

Characters who know One Hand Fury apply this base modification only to attacks with their 'normal' hand.

Through long training and deep meditation, the martial arts master refines her talents into a fluid and all-encompassing perfection; the constant guidance of martial essence through rigorous and disciplined flows leaves the body preconditioned for such natural flows of vital essence - The Martial Artist permanently replaces her unarmed combat traits as follows:

Additionally, if the Martial Artist master is an Exalt, she may commit 3 motes as an Obvious effect to add her natural Magical Material bonus to her unarmed attacks indefinitely.

Terrestrial Masters who learn this charm must select their specific Jade bonus or the general Jade bonus when they learn this charm, and cannot change their decision. Jade Alchemicals always use the generic Jade option.)

Infernal Exalted add a sheen of vitriolic coating to their hands and feet which leak a caustic venom - their attacks inflict a poison (1A/action Toxicity (Essence) Penalty -1) when they connect, doses build up normally.

Characters who know One Hand Fury apply this base modification only to attacks with their 'normal' hand.

I know you posted it before; it's still awesome.

On a sidenote, and as a point of interest for Cail/ana if they still need story ideas, I think I might have Maw try to invent Human Style. There's like a laundry list of expensive high-investment things I want to do with him, but that one is just too fun to leave alone.

Two questions: are we playing a roaming game or are we mostly going to be in a particular region?

And about the Chaos Targe, I'm thinking of upgrading Sanger's thunderbolt shield to it, but it doesn't have any stats. Should I just use the thunderbolt shield stats, since it would kind of do the same DV increase, and would I be allowed to re-flavour it, so that instead of it being a scale from Oramus's wings, it has a pearlescent sheen made from exotic materials that normally reflects light in dazzling colours, but with motes committed to the shield, it does so even more so and thus allows me to apply parry DV to unblockable attacks?

Given everyone's preferences, this is likely to be mostly roaming with returning-to-base options during extended downtime periods. There'll be several choices of PC bait situations that could stand addressing; what people choose to address (and how it gets addressed), what gets delegated (and to whom), and what gets left for later will build to the greater flow of things. Given PC tendencies, if this means the group elects to split up, we'll see what comes up as a result.

As for the Chaos Targe, the re-styling meets with approval. Use the normal Thunderbolt Shield stats with the additional ability to block the unblockable (touch the untouchable row row fight the power).

Tentative approval, with questions -- this is looking largely like a custom Solar Martial Arts tree, so I don't have so much problem with it.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

- Lesser Foe Enlightenment Stance - Where the text of the Charm says "fully soaks", is it intended to mean soaked down to the minimum damage of an attack?- World-Scorching Valor Form needs a couple of tweaks. The clause about the Unarmed Attacks mote-stripping creatures of darkness should have either the Crippling or Shaping keyword, and needs a label as a Holy effect, as that's what has leverage over creatures of darkness. Overwhelming should be limited to 3, and will be similarly limited in the event anyone decides they want to poke into Violet Bier of Sorrows; I was going to bring that up if we had anyone interested in Violet Bier, owing largely to ping spam being potentially devastatingly effective in 2.5.

I've not yet looked over math for submitted sheets, but it looks like everyone's got their pulp stories and backgrounds by this point. Tomorrow will be math, collating, and finalizing the beginning of this story.